number: HBC-40
deployment: CY 40
tons
type: titanium/palladium glass/ceramic composite
top speed 2668 kph; maneuvering thrusters: 21, 180° turn time 0.90 seconds;
legs: top ground speed 195 kph
mounted behind visor in head
armaments: plasma sword, power rated at 0.50 MW, stored in recharge rack on back, hand-carried in use; plasma submachine gun, stored on back, graphcap magazine-fed, hand-carried in use
When Hainan Island allied with Wehrbund Bavaria against the Coalition, Ivan Eckhart immediately realized the need for a new line of combat frames for both allies’ mutual defense. He and his strategically gifted cousin Chaz Ritter worked with Hainan Aerospace personnel to design a mass production XSeed. Unfortunately, rogue CDF Lieutenant Frazer’s assault on Hainan’s space port in the One Series prototype destroyed the island’s carbyne production facility.
With no time to wait for the factory to be rebuilt, the joint CF design team substituted industry standard titanium/palladium glass/ceramic composite armor for the originally planned carbyne laminate. They also removed the corresponding capacitors in favor of additional structural reinforcement. The resulting compromise was dubbed the HBC-40 Stapfen.
Though it fell short of being a true mass-produced XSeed, the Stapfen proved itself in combat almost immediately after the first run rolled off the assembly line. The SOC’s standard Guardian units found themselves woefully outmatched by the faster, tougher Staps, despite having a significant numerical advantage.
The Staps’ true test came later in the HALO conflict, when hostilities broke out between Wehrbund Bavaria and Astraea. Though Astraea CF force commander Malov Strauss–and even Sullia Zend herself–initially dismissed the ground-optimized units, the Staps soon showed themselves to be capable space combatants; even holding their own against Zeklov-Astraea’s formidable Grand Dolphs. The Staps’ plasma submachine guns helped them dish out more damage than their faster, more agile foes, and they proved almost as resilient in the face of kinetic attacks as the XSeeds that inspired them.
Despite their impressive early showing, the Stapfens’ nature as a stopgap measure became apparent as the war neared its conclusion and more advanced units appeared on the battlefield. Improved Dolph models like the Heavy Armor and Dragonfly lines quickly made the Staps obsolete, though their valuable contribution to the war would not be forgotten.
It's pretty. Like the two-tone green and gold, and it works well. Fodder against fodder. Mooks against mooks. And I still love the graphcap armaments, wherever they show up.
For the rest, I hold that the Systems Overterrestrial Coalition must be destroyed.
Weenies need love, too!
A minor goal: show love to each and every mech as it comes out.
I like the squared-off, hard-edged look of these guys. I think it captures a bit of a Germanic/Industrial feel that fits the history perfectly. I'm also liking the mil-history for each design; adds to the feeling of a well built-out IP. It's like stumbling into a cult anime that you never realized was such a big thing in its niche.
That's exactly the feel I'm going for with XSeed. It's meant to be that cult 80s-90s mecha anime you just heard about online from a buddy whose enthusiasm is infectious 🙂
I wasn't able to put it that concisely until you gave me the right perspective. Thanks for the invaluable feedback!
I like them. Something blocker and less capable that is produced now when needed, as opposed to sophisticated models made just in time to hand to the victor. Teutonic efficiency with some practical non- optimizing, opposite to 20th C overly engineered products.
I promised myself to finish The Secret Kings before starting the third XSeed vook.
Glad you like the Staps. By all means, finish SK before starting 2nd Coming.